Reigning supreme over the Magellan Strait, Fort Bulnes (Fuerte Bulnes has been reconstructed to look exactly as it did when it was first built in the 19th century. As well as offering panoramic vistas of Punta Arenas from its watchtower, the fortress encompasses a museum that explores the colonial history of southern Chile.
Milodon Cave (Cueva del Milodón is a Chilean Natural Monument and site of paleontological interest. It was here that, in 1896, German explorer Eberhard Hermann found the fur and bones of a Mylodon, an extinct huge ground sloth. With a small museum and displays, the site pays homage to its former inhabitant.
The snow-capped cone of Osorno Volcano is one of Chile’s most recognizable landmarks. Towering over Lake Todos Los Santos and Lake Llanquihue in the Andean mountain range, Osorno is the starting point of Chilean Patagonia and is a magnet for adventurous outdoor enthusiasts who come here to ski, hike, and trek.
Visitors to the Nao Victoria Museum can travel back in time and experience the real-life thrill of a 16th-century sailing experience. Opened in 2011, this destination is celebrated by locals for promoting national identity and preserving much of what makes this area so unique. Visitors can wander through four real-life replicas of famous ships: the Nao Victoria, James Caird, HMS Beagle and Schooner Ancud—boats that played an important role in the discovery of Magallanes. Guides are included in the cost of admission, which makes for rich storytelling while travelers explore the ships.
The second-largest lake in Chile, Llanquihue sits at the base of the near-perfect conically shaped Osorno Volcano, creating a defining image of the country’s Lake District. This is the starting point of Chilean Patagonia and—with its beautiful scenery and bounty of activities on offer—a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts.
Opened in 1894, the Punta Arenas Municipal Cemetery is known as the final resting place for some of the area’s most famous historical figures. Relevant families—like the Menendez-Behetys—even have their own chapels here. The massive iron gate stationed at the cemetery’s main entrance was donated by Sara Braun, a wealthy businesswoman, back in 1919, and local legend says it has remained closed and locked since the day it was completed at Sara’s request. While the grounds were originally reserved for bodies of British colonialists, it also includes those of famous German, French, Norwegian and Chilean residents as well.
Punta Arenas Municipal Cemetery covers about 10 acres (four hectares) of city land, making it one of the most expansive burial grounds in the region. Visits are often included in city tours, and the cemetery’s main office has an incredible electronic database where travelers can search for individuals by name to find the location of specific plots.
This historic town square is among the most popular destinations in the Magallanes Region because of its unmistakable energy and close proximity to some of Punta Arenas’ major attractions. Travelers can easily walk from Plaza Munoz Gamero to Casa Braun-Menendez, the Sociedad Menendez Behety and the local cathedral, and many visitors agree that the best handmade crafts in town can be found here.
Walking the plaza takes only a few minutes, but most visitors gather at park benches or relax in the shade of trees to take in the sights and sounds of local life. Local folklore states kissing the statue of Magellan’s feet is good luck, so visitors looking to change their fortune should be sure to do so before leaving the plaza. A central information center also offers travelers maps and recommendations, making this a perfect first stop on a trip to Punta Arenas.
In the early 20th century, Swedish explorer Otto Nordenskjold discovered a blue alpine lake that would later be named after him. Located within Torres del Paine National Park, the lake is famous for its beautifully colored waters, as well as its outfall, the Salto Grande waterfall.
While the national park is famous for its multi-day hiking circuits, visitors can make a shorter, easier day hike to Mirador Nordenskjold, an overlook offering stunning views of the lake and surrounding mountains. The trail passes through fields of wildflowers in the spring, and it also brings hikers up close to the Salto Grande waterfall.
The Calbuco Volcano, one of two snow-capped volcanic cones rising above the town of Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, is also one of Chile’s most active volcanoes with 36 confirmed eruptions — 13 recorded since 1893. In April 2015, Calbuco erupted three times in a period of eight days. While not a perfect cone like neighboring Osorno Volcano, the sight of Calbuco is equally magnificent.
Calbuco Volcano is located within Llanquihue National Reserve. Some of the best views of the peak can be seen while trekking through the park.
The epic massifs at Torres del Paine National Park (Parque Nacional Torres del Paine) in Chile draw visitors to an area of unspoiled beauty, where green fields and chill glittering lakes spread out beneath the naked granite spires of the Cordillera del Paine.
In spite of its ominous name, the Channel of Last Hope (Ultima Esperanza is a calm inlet stretching from Eberhard Fjord to Monte Balmaceda in Chilean Patagonia. The 16th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ladrillero gave it its name in the belief that navigating it was his last opportunity to reach the Strait of Magellan.
Located at the west end of Puerto Montt, the small fishing port of Angelmo got its name — according to local legend — from the mispronunciation by indigenous locals of the name of a local doctor, Angel Montt, when the town was first getting established.
Avenida Angelmo leads toward the port, lined with seafood restaurants and crammed with vendors selling handicrafts and souvenirs. Popular items include knickknacks made from the Alerce tree, a species native to Chile’s Lake District, as well as bottles of Licor de Oro. A fish market right on the banks of the bay sells the fresh catches brought in from local fishing boats, and restaurants — some built on stilts over the water — serve some of the best quality seafood in the area.
The Villarrica Volcanic Caves, sometimes called the House of Devil, snake hundreds of yards into the side of the Villarrica Volcano, Chile’s most active volcano. Take a trek into the caves, which are the hardened remains of historic lava flows, and enjoy the mountaintop scenery.
The roaring waters of Chile’s Petrohué Waterfalls (Saltos del Petrohué) tumble through the lush, volcanic landscape of Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park in Patagonia. The falls’ steps are made up of dramatic basalt formations, brought to the surface eons ago by the snow-capped Osorno Volcano, which rises photogenically above the cascade.
This 1,700-square-foot mecca of Patagonia heritage covers an entire history, culture and tradition in just four floors. Travelers can explore the well-organized galleries created by Salesian missionaries back in the late 1800s and learn about the rich ethnology, archaeology, wildlife and diversity of the region.
Visitors rave about the Cave of the Hands replica, which is displayed in a room dedicated to Southern Patagonia, and many applaud the museum’s honest handling of colonists, too. The Salesians made every effort to preserve artifacts from the Ona, Tehuelche, Alacalufe and Yamana people, while also explaining the impact of European colonists on local traditions and the role of pioneers in helping to create modern day Punta Arenas.
This elegant and well-preserved residence was once home to Braun Menendez—an intrepid pioneer who called Punta Arenas home. Just beyond the ornate iron gates travelers will find an incredible array of artifacts that explore the rich history and cultural diversity of the Magallanes region. From lush tapestries and shimmering hardwood floors to handcrafted furniture and beautiful statues, the Magallanes Regional Museum showcases how European influences made their way to South America.
The palace is divided into three major areas, and travelers can venture through collections of artifacts brought by the family from Europe, or delve into an array of maps and photographs that explain the region’s history. And a visit to the restored servants’ quarters showcases the day-to-day routines from the Braun Menendez family’s earliest days.
Located in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, Lake Todos los Santos is often referred to as Lago Esmerelda due to the vivid emerald color of its waters. Formed by both glacial and volcanic activity, the 69-square-mile (111-square-kilometer lake is ideal for kayaking, swimming, and fishing, and promises unobstructed views of the Osorno Volcano.
King George Island is the largest of South Shetland Islands, and its scenic bays, which include Maxwell, Admiralty and King George Bays, are home to unique wildlife, like elephant and leopard seals and a variety of species of penguins.
Its protected fjords and diverse flora and fauna make the island one of the region’s premier research stations for bio-diversity, and although these scientists who come from around the world are the only human inhabitants on this unique island, there’s still some draw for travelers venturing to the area’s icy depths. The Arctowski lighthouse is known for being the southernmost lighthouse in the world, and every summer intrepid runners venture to the island for the Antarctic marathon.
Established in 1926, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park is Chile’s oldest national park. Natural highlights include the Osorno, Puntiagudo, and Tronador volcanoes, and Lago Todos los Santos, hailed as one of the most beautiful lakes in Chile.
When Magellan passed through his eponymous strait bound for Chile for the first time, he cruised past the tiny Magdalena Island (Isla Magdalena). Today, travelers make it a point to stop at this scenic island just northeast of Punta Arenas to explore the rocky shores and observe the huge colony of Magellanic penguins at their critical breeding site.
Famed for its colony of adorable Magellanic penguins, Otway Sound (Seno Otway) houses one of the most easily visited penguin preserves in the world. In September, thousands of the smallish warm-weather penguins—all of them couples—make their way to this large inland bay in southern Chile and begin building nests.
Unforgiving winds, rugged coastline, and narrow passages made the Strait of Magellan one of the most deadly channels for early explorers of South America. Luckily, modern cruise ship technology means today’s travelers can safely cross the strait for a scenic voyage past rocky fjords, forested islands, and glaciers that spill into the sea.
Whether by car or bike, it’s hard to dispute that the Carreterra Austral is one of South America's most rugged — and scenic — highway routes. Winding through the wilderness of Patagonia, the road is often remote and rough but grants access to some of the most naturally beautiful parts of Chile. Also known as Route 7 or Southern Highway, it runs north to south from Puerto Montt to Villa O’Higgins for more than 1,200 kilometers.
Construction on the carretera began in 1976 under dictator Augusto Pinochet. It is not always one continuous road - in part it is connected only by ferry. Much of the paths are gravel, though more and more are being paved with time. It is particularly popular with cyclists in the summer months (December through February.)
Despite the length of the route, this area is sparsely populated by around only 100,000 people in rural communities — meaning you'll have much of the natural beauty to yourself.
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